The Farm Animal Rescue Daily
Just like the title suggests, you can get you daily fix of animal friendly news right here, from across the globe. In this issue are articles shared from the UK, Peru, Canada, and the US. Read them, comment on them, share them, love them!
https://paper.li/e-1550534658#/
Facing Up To The Face on Your Plate Shared by animalrightswatch.us
The Farm Animal Rescue Daily
Read the latest and greatest in animal rescue news from around the world!
Links to Video Clips
As savvy as I would like to believe I am, in truth there are some things that I am no expert at. Take uploading videos to this blog, for example. We have some great clips to share with you all, but I am still in the process of figuring out this new website. Alas, until I get a little further along on this journey, I decided to at least share the links for these clips. I think what might have to happen is a Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary YouTube channel. What do you think about that?
January 26, 2019
Here’s an impromptu video-shoot at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary, with Melissa giving us a tour and detailing her vision for the layout of the property. https://www.facebook.com/bluebarnsanctuary/videos/445807395957269/?t=0
February 8, 2019
Creating a safe space for the animals to live is our top priority at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary. Today, we took down a 90 ft dead cedar tree that was right in the middle of the yard. The wood from this tree is being milled into boards that will be used as part of the fencing for our pigs. Check out this video clip of the tree coming down: https://www.facebook.com/Tilebyryan/videos/2592420724108218/?t=0
February 21, 2019
Moving right along… today we had a friend come spend the day with us, to mill the wood from the felled cedar tree into boards for our fencing. This quick video gives you peak into how much work went into creating the stack of lumber pictured on our blog. https://www.facebook.com/Tilebyryan/videos/2615992998417657/?t=0
March 23, 2019
It’s officially begun!!! We are clearing trenches to set the first round of fencing in place. Somebody please pinch me, because I feel like I am dreaming!!! https://www.facebook.com/melissa.patricelli.3/videos/10157363226438291/?t=3
Digging the Trenches for the Fences
Thanks to Ryan for using his trusty machine to auger his way through the clay and mud. We had a few volunteers out at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary helping with clearing the loose soil out of the trench once the tractor did it’s magic. Without the support of volunteers, we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much accomplished. Thanks, friends!
Stay tuned for the next phase of the little piggy fencing project!
This post was originally published March 26, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn.
Meatless Mondays
Today’s Meatless Mondays deliciousness is being brought to you on Tuesday because, hey, sometimes life happens! Lately, Forks Over Knives’ Vegan Lentil Chili has been the stuff of our dreams here at Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary. It’s one of those go-to recipes that keeps you wanting more. Not to mention, the house smells divine when there’s chili simmering on the stove top.
This is what Chef AJ, from Forks Over Knives, has to say about her recipe:
“This is my family’s all time favorite chili! Red lentils cook very quickly and are not only pretty but creamy and delicious. We love to serve this over a baked Yukon Gold potato.”https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/red-lentil-chili/#gs.27abpj
Whether we’re out in the pasture working on getting the old, broken-down fencing out, or digging the post holes to install the new fencing for the pig enclosures, this chili fills the tank. All of the ingredients are plant-based so there’s no sleepy, heavy feeling after the meal, which is crucial when you’re feeding an army of animal rescuers eager to get back outside to help around the farm. Winter, spring, summer, and fall are all perfect times for chili!
We like to add some of our favorite veggies to the FOK recipe.
Did I mention that there were no animals harmed in the making of this vegan red lentil chili? Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better! Remember: next time you’re thinking about what to eat, be kind, be compassionate, and have some empathy for all beings. Small changes, make big ripples.
Thanks for stopping by the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary’s blog. Like what you see? Please leave us a comment!
This post was originally published on March 19, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn.
Meatless Mondays
One of our favorite vegan recipe websites is responsible for this week’s debauchery: Forks Over Knives. Their Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins are easy to make, and so super tasty, they’ll disappear in a heartbeat!
Even though a lot of us don’t necessarily think of sweet treats when we’re thinking of “Meatless Mondays”, an interesting correlation to make is surrounding the dairy and egg industries. Most recipes for muffins call for butter and eggs.
Where does butter come from? Dairy cows.
How does the farmer get the cows to continually produce milk for making butter? By artificially inseminating her at least once a year.
What happens to her babies? That depends on the gender of the calf.
According to an article posted in the Guardian by Chas Newkey-Burden,
“When she gives birth, her calf will typically be removed within 36 hours, so the farmers can steal and sell you the milk that is meant for her baby. Wildlife experts say that a strong bond between cow and calf is formed quickly after birth. Following that callous separation, the mother will bellow and scream for days, wondering where her baby is. The answer depends on the gender of the calf. If male, he will probably either be shot and tossed into a bin, or sold to be raised for veal, which delays his death by just a matter of months. But if the calf is female, she will usually be prepared for her own entry into dairy production, where she will face the same cycle of hell that her mother is trapped in: forced impregnation, the theft of her baby, and a return to the cattle crush two or three months later.”
At the very least, choosing a recipe that doesn’t use butter is choosing a kinder way of connecting with our food. At best, we are preventing the needless suffering of dairy cows. We’ll save the discussion about eggs for another time.
For now, get out your baking utensils. Make these fabulous muffins, and let us know how they turned out. My mouth is watering just imagining pulling them out of the oven, and eating one before it has time to cool! Oh my goodness!
This post was originally published March 12, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn.
How Do Trees Become Pig Fences?
Step 1. You have a towering Cedar tree in your yard that is no longer alive.
Step 2. You are opening a farm animal sanctuary.
Step 3. You are friends with a neighbor who will cut the tree down and mill it for you.https://www.facebook.com/Tilebyryan/videos/2592420724108218/?t=0
Step 4. You build the fence with the help of amazing volunteers.
Step 5. You rescue pigs from factory farms, and bring them to Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary.
Clearly this is a simplified version of the process. Stay tuned for more progress on the fencing project!
This post was originally published March 1, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn.
Meatless Mondays
Vegan Split Pea Soup in the Crock Pot
It’s that perfect time of the year, here in the Pacific North West, for a big hearty bowl of homemade split pea soup. This is one of those recipes that can be cultivated into a masterpiece catering to your specific desires. As a great place to start, this is what Melissa likes to put in hers, but feel free to get creative with yours:
5 Cups Water (Add vegetable bouillon once the peas have softened. Otherwise the salt from the broth can cause the peas to stay too firm.)
1 Cup Dried Split Peas (Rinse them well))
3 Bay Leaves
1 to 2 Carrots
2 to 3 Ribs of Celery
1 Medium Yellow Onion
Seasonings
Smokey Paprika or Liquid Smoke
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Pepper to Taste
Fresh Spinach (Toss it into the pot just before serving. Give it just enough time to wilt.)
Looking at this picture is making me hungry!
Send us a picture of your Split Pea Soup in our comments!
Remember, Meatless Mondays are a great way to incorporate more vegetables, kindness, compassion, and empathy into our lives. What we are putting on our plates is speaking volumes to the industry of meat production. To speak out against animal cruelty inherent in factory farming, let’s vote with our dollars. There is no need for suffering…especially when we have delicious split pea soup ready to go for dinner!
Industrial Pig Farming in the United States
“115 million pigs are raised and slaughtered per year in the US
(2015)…the 3rd biggest pork producer after China
and Europe. The largest producer in the US is Smithfield.
They run “farms” with more than 8000 pigs crammed in. They have slaughterhouses… that slaughter up to 34,000 pigs – per day.”
Store in the fridge or freezer for quick meals with no fuss!
This post was originally published February 18, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn.
Meatless Mondays
Thank you Rabbit and Wolves!
This soup is DIVINE!!!
One of the best parts about writing this blog is being inspired to explore all kinds of new recipes. Today’s Meatless Mondays post is compliments of our friends over at Rabbit and Wolves. Click on the link to get the recipe for this Vegan White Lasagna Soup, and read a whole bunch of fabulous comments.https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-white-lasagna-soup/
Of course, we are also feeling inspired to take this opportunity to think about how our meal choices are impacting the Earth, and all of the folks who call her home. The factory farming industry is under the microscope, and not just by peace-loving radicals. Here’s a little snip-it from an article in Forbes:
“Factory farming comes under criticism when thousands of animals are crowded in small facilities, diseases may become common and consumers who consume these products can be exposed to serious health effects. This puts further pressure on the meat industry since factory farms have a main focus on operational efficiencies to create a less expensive and more accessible product for consumers. According to American Humane’s survey nearly 95% of participants are “very concerned” about the welfare of farm animals and 69% of consumers responding to a Context Marketing survey (2010) said they would be willing to pay more for food that “promises to be produced to higher ethical standards”, showing that this is an issue that consumers truly care about.”
Forbes Magazine, July 15, 2015, Phil Lemperthttps://www.forbes.com/sites/phillempert/2015/06/15/why-factory-farming-isnt-what-you-think/#2d3af5176065
This is not even beginning to touch on any global impacts of these industrial farming practices; from contamination of water sources, to deforestation for grazing land, and inhumane treatment of the animals being raised as food for other animals and people. We would be outraged if our pets were being treated this way: forced to stand on metal grates and/or concrete floors all day with no space to turn around, or at least be able step out of their own excrement. Why is it okay for the animals being “produced” for food to be neglected and abused?
Here’s your challenge: in the name of bringing our collective habits back into a sustainable place of balance, skip putting meat on your plate one day out of the week. We chose Mondays, but you can pick any day of the week you want! Little ripples eventually turn into big waves. Make this delicious vegan white lasagna soup, and know that it tastes amazing AND it’s good for us, animals and plants included. Then send us a comment telling us about how yours turned out. From all of the folks at Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary, have a great week. May it be filled with kindness, compassion, and empathy.
This post was originally published February 11, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn
Meatless Mondays
Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili Nachos
“Ya gotta love the black bean sweet potato chili nachos topped off with spinach, cilantro, tomato, vegan cheesy sauce and cashew sour cream…woah,” words of wisdom from Melissa herself. It’s that time of the week again, my friends. Meatless Monday is here. What is YOUR go-to vegetarian dish?
These delicious nachos are super easy to put together. It’s fast, filling, and good for you; not to mention good for the planet.
Black beans: if you don’t have time to get dried beans from the bulk section of your favorite local market, buying them in the can works. (Just be sure to recycle it after you’ve emptied the beans from it, and washed it out.) Cook the beans if they were dried, or simply heat them up if they were from a can.
Baked and mashed sweet potato with a touch of chili powder added for zip.
Corn tortilla chips (we like Que Pasa organic corn chips).
Chop up some veg. We used spinach, cilantro, and tomato. You could also add red onion, avocado, fresh jalapeno, or olives.
Top it all off with a vegan cheezy sauce and cashew sour cream, both of which can be purchased at just about any local grocery store.
Put it all together, and enjoy!
One day a week, take the meat out of your diet. You’re doing a great thing for your body, your animal friends, and the planet. Small adjustments create big ripples! Tell us how your nachos turned out. Did you add your own twist to our suggestions?
Thanks for stopping by at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary!
This post was originally published February 4, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn
Meatless Mondays
Jumbo chickpea pancake covered in cashew sour cream and pear chutney.
A super fun, delicious, and simple way to incorporate more compassion into our lives is by designating one day a week to skip the meat in our diets. Of course, if you are already living a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle, this will be a cinch! Here at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary, we believe that there is an astronomical amount of power leveraged through our buying choices. When we consciously purchase something other than meat to eat, we are sending a very clear message to a global industry that is:
· supporting the worldwide destruction of natural
habitats to grow food for livestock that will be turned into food for humans and other beings
· profiting off of the cruel and inhumane
treatment of animals
· creating suffering for the purpose of driving
the consumerism that is “consuming” our society
· cultivating an audience willing to turn a blind
eye for a cheap deal at the supermarket
· knowingly poisoning us, the soil, and the plants used for livestock feed, as well as the animals eating these “frankenfoods”, through the use and abuse of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides
Meatless Mondays doesn’t require a drastic overhaul of our diet. It fosters a more clear connection to what we are using to fuel our bodies. It brings in an awareness surrounding the connection between what we are putting on our plate, and how that ripples out into the community at large. Plus, it tastes really good! By implementing this one little interesting shift in our routine, we have the potential of making a gigantic difference in the quality of living for a lot of animals, not to mention the health of our planet as a whole.
Voila! Meatless Mondays are made manifest! This week we are showcasing a favorite tried and true recipe from Angela at Oh She Glows: Jumbo Chickpea Pancake – A High Protein, Filling Vegan Breakfast or Lunch. This divine combination of chickpea flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, baking powder, and optional red pepper flakes turned pancake will make a believer out of you! She couples her pancake with avocado, salsa, and hummus. We decided to stuff ours with sautéed kale, chard, onion, and mushrooms. However, the options for fillings are practically endless. Now imagine this: it’s made even more delightful with our homemade cashew sour cream topped with our pear chutney created from the fruits of our pear trees. Leave us a comment if you’re excited to learn how to make either of these show stopping extras for this or any number of other delectable treats, and tell us how your Meatless Monday turned out!
This post was originally published January 28, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn
Once Upon A Time...
Melissa Patricelli has been working and volunteering with young people and rescued farm animals for over a decade. Although her educational background is in child psychology, she has always had a passion for animals. She spent the better half of her career life in the field of counseling. She volunteers at shelters, vacations at sanctuaries, and attends regular workshops with the focus being how to run a rescue organization. Her dream is to bring her two loves together and provide healing, kindness, and stability for the animals as well as the children connecting with and caring for them.
When Melissa started volunteering at animal sanctuaries and rescues, she realized that there was a major gap in the rehabilitation of the abused, neglected, and abandoned farm animals she was supporting. That gap could only be filled by the compassionate hands and hearts of young people who had also struggled with abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Bringing “forgotten” kids together with “forgotten” animals to share the possibilities of growing, learning, and empathizing became her life’s work.
In 2018, Melissa and her husband, Ryan, bought a property in Creswell, Oregon with the intention of one day opening a sanctuary to teach the people about the therapeutic power of caring for rescued farm animals, and to reopen the hearts of the animals who had long ago decided that people were not their friends. It is with great pleasure and humble gratitude, that I am able to be a part of this mission. A mission whose aim it is to teach and promote empathy, kindness, and compassion.
In a world where we have random normalized acts of violence against children, the elderly, and animals on a daily basis, an organization like the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary is more than necessary. It is imperatively essential to the survival of our future generations. It is only through the reality of pain and suffering, that we can harbor a kinship to those who seem so different from ourselves. Melissa’s goal is on the cusp of a culture steeped in indifference. This is no easy task that she’s set out for herself, and those of us willing and able to support her. Your involvement is paramount to the success of this organization! Every little bit counts, and every one of us has the power to shift the current trends of apathy. What can you do today, right now, to begin changing the way you see the lives of animals in captivity? How simple can you make it, helping children in need?
This post was originally created January 23rd, 2019 by Amy A. Ehn
Inspiration Comes in Many Forms
I spent the last week down in the Florida Panhandle, visiting and volunteering at Alaqua Animal Refuge. They boast being the largest no-kill shelter in that area. Laurie Hood is their founder, and does a great job of making her life’s work seem easy. I can tell you for certain, however, that it is anything but easy.
In 2007, she heard about a momma dog and her newly born puppies who were all going to be euthanized due to a lack of funding/space at one of the local shelters. She went to this facility, and asked what it would would cost to adopt them all. The person working that day told her there was a $900 adoption fee for that number of pups. Laurie figured out that if she was representing a non-profit, those fees would be waived. She went home, got online, applied for 501c3 status, and returned to that shelter the next day with her “pending approval” paperwork in hand. She left with 34 dogs. That was the beginning of Alaqua.
“Since its founding year, Alaqua staff and volunteers have helped find homes for more than 15,000 animals, with up to 100 adoptions completed each month.”
From those humble beginnings, Alaqua quickly out-grew its space. They have plans in the works for moving from their current 10-acre parcel to a new facility on 100 acres. When she isn’t busy rescuing animals, Laurie is buried in paperwork. She has been instrumental in developing and implementing legislation in support of the animals living in the Emerald Coast. Indeed, working alongside the local Sherrif’s department insures that she has a pulse on the current state of affairs; including animal abuse, neglect, hoarding, and abandonment cases. Last year, Laurie, along with several other staff members at Alaqua, were featured on Nat Geo WILD TV’s Animal PD series, which highlighted some of the dangerous situations she finds herself in when she hears about an animal in need of rescue.
Alaqua is a non-profit, and runs completely on donations. Specifically, they have an operating budget of $100,000 a month. When we look at that bottom line, it is clear to see how important it is to have a strong network of community support in place. Whether we are talking about Alaqua or the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary, we must do whatever we can to go the extra mile, and give a voice to those who would otherwise get lost in the shuffle. Find a no-kill shelter in your neck of the woods, and send them some love. I can almost guarantee you that they will appreciate your generosity. The only way we can do this work, is together.
“We believe that no dream is too big when it comes to saving the lives of innocent animals. And while we continue to grow and develop, Alaqua will adhere to its guiding purpose: to give neglected, lost and abandoned animals a second chance at life.”
Transforming the Dream into a Farm Sanctuary
It seems like just yesterday that we were all sitting around, looking at the plans for the property, and brainstorming ways to move forward with the fence building project here at the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary. Melissa is up to her eyeballs in completing the bylaws, which are a very necessary step in applying for 501c3 status. Our board of directors has been meeting every month and supporting her in this process, bringing new ideas to the table for fundraising, and solidifying our calendar for the year.
Last month a few of our board members went to a conference put on by the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship, “Guiding More Good”. It was their 15th annual conference, and a clear success. The keynote speaker was Anne Kubisch, President of the Ford Family Foundation. In addition to hearing her speak, our board representatives were able to do some networking, go to a workshop or two, and listen in on informative speeches given by a handful of other experts in the field of nonprofits.
They returned from this experience with a lot of new ideas to share, and we literally hit the ground running. Each weekend since, the director of buildings and grounds, along with Melissa’s husband, Ryan, have been getting the property ready for the new sturdy fencing being installed to keep the animals safe, as well as the people coming to visit the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary. With the help of our amazing volunteers and some of the board members, the old structurally unsound fence came down, trenches were dug, and blackberry bushes were cut back all in preparation for the installation of the new fence. It won’t be long now…
“I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.” Abraham Lincoln
Come back next week for another round of updates on the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary fence project. Until then, thanks for stopping by. Like and share this post with your friends. If you’d like more information, leave us a comment.
Welcome to the Blue Barn Journey!!
Hello, everyone and Welcome!!!
We are so excited to have you follow along on our journey of creating a space that teaches kindness, compassion and empathy to our fellow human beings! As you can see, we are just in the beginning stages of creating our sanctuary and we are certainly missing an important component of the average rescue- animals. Don't worry, we didn’t miss that. They are coming- not to worry. We were hoping to take you along and show you the steps it takes to make a sanctuary happen. There’s a lot involved and we thought it could be fun to have some friends (you all) come along.
So while we are building a board, putting up fences, and developing plans & curriculums, we can also teach. This blog is one of the ways we hope to educate you about not only our journey, but about the lives of animals and ways that we can all lead more compassionate lives. Our board member extraordinaire, Amy Ehn, is our amazing resident blogger and she is going to take you on this journey. We know you are. going to love her as much as we do..
With Thanks & Gratitude,
Melissa
Founder
Blue Barn & Sanctuary
